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Issue 4 | April 2013
More Than a Thrift Store By Kathy Marson Writer, Upper Columbia Conference newseditor@uccsda.org
Bonners Ferry, Idaho, January 31, 2013 - A family of four, new to Bonners Ferry and struggling financially, hears through the local food bank they might get help through the Community Thrift Store. They go, they ask, and they receive $200 to pay the electric deposit needed for their move into a rental. Two years later, the family donates $800 back to the store. Thrift store staff: Debbie Esselbach, Karen Drechsel, Pam A young mother, whose husband just be- Reoch, Shauna Cruttenden and Casty Cain. come employed but will not get paid for six weeks, comes into the Community Thrift Store. She asks for help with her rent, but Pam Reoch, manager, says, “How are you doing for food?” The young mother starts to cry, so Pam gives her a voucher for $100 of food at a local grocery story. A few minutes later another lady comes into the store with a burden on her heart to donate $100 to the store. A dad is in jail while the mother, home with a disabled child, has that knock on the door where her furniTS | Page 6
topics in this issue • More Than a Thrift Store • ACS plus YES! • Pastor’s Corner: Lending Your Lunch • Southgate Health Nugget • Animal Encounters • Single and Knowing God • Fresh & Nutritious • Fun, Family, Faith • Calendar of Events • Southgate Community Services • From the Editor: Come, Let us Break Bread Together
A.C.S. plus Y.E.S.! By Regina Davis-West Editor rdaviswest@gmail.com
Adventist Community Services (ACS) is a service oriented organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It has evolved from the historical efforts of the church based on the desire to develop community initiatives. Its origins go back as far as 1879 with the Dorcas Society, then in 1956 became the Seventh-day Adventist Welfare Service (SAWS) program, then expanded into relief efforts, international territories, humanitarian
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efforts, and in 1973, the international program became known as the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International. Currently, ACS is involved in community service under the following programs: Disaster Response, Community Development/Inner City, Youth Empowered to Service (YES!), Tutoring and Mentoring, Elder Care, and Crisis Care. There are so many efforts being put forth by the Seventh-day Adven-
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Lending Your Lunch M
y father used to have a principle that he lived by that he passed on to me; “whenever you borrow something from someone always return it in the same or better condition than you receive it.” Jesus himself also lived by this adage. In John the 6th chapter is a story told of Jesus and a multitude. Jesus had just finished preaching and crossed over the Sea of Galilee and retreated to the top of a mountain with His disciples. While seated there a multitude gathered to see Him. Many who were there had just witnessed Jesus do many miracles on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus recognized that the crowd was hungry; in realizing it he wanted to feed the crowded masses. He then turned to Philip and said, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” (This is the same Philip that would later question Jesus and ask Him to reveal the Father to him.) Philip answered Him, “Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them that every one of them may take a little.” In other words, Philip was saying we don’t have enough money to even purchase a snack let alone a full meal for all these folks. The Bible says that Jesus had asked Philip this to test him. Jesus knew ahead of time what He was going to do. Nothing catches Jesus by surprise; nothing sneaks up on the www.facebook.com/southgate.church.1
Lord. Nothing blind-sides the Master. Just then Andrew, the disciple, points out the fact that there is a little boy there with a lunch; five small loaves of barley (probably the size of large bread rolls) and two fishes. Philip remarked that the little lunch was hardly sufficient to feed a multitude. The situation seemed hopeless. Not enough money, not enough food, what would Jesus do? Jesus borrowed the little boy’s lunch. Notice I said borrow. Jesus always borrows what we have. He never keeps it for Himself but returns it to us in bigger and better condition than he gave it. If we give Him a small portion of our time each day, in return he gives us eternity. If I return a ten percent tithe and offering, He in return opens the windows of heaven and pours out a blessing that there should not be room enough to receive. If I lend my talent and gifts He promises to increase my influence and develop more. If we are faithful over a few things God will make us ruler over many. God only borrows in order to give back, and then in bigger and better condition than He received it. No wonder the Bible says, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you • the Southgate GOSPEL •••
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By Pastor Arthur R. Branner II Senior Pastor arthurbranner@yahoo.com
again.” This text suggest that when you give, you receive back in equal proportion, (for with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again) however in closer examination of the verse we discover that we really receive more because what God gives us in return is always condensed; pressed down, shaken together and running over... Jesus took the little boy’s lunch and multiplied it to feed a small stadium of people; five thousand. Talking about fast food... (Without all of the harmful calories of fat and cholesterol). This month’s edition of the news letter is on the theme of Community Services and my question to you is: what are you lending to Christ that he might better your community. Are WE as a church making the biggest impact in our community for Christ? Are we lending our lunch for the master’s use? Jesus is waiting for us to give him our menu that He might make a greater difference in our community. My challenge to us as a church is that we enlist more members into the service of God, to lend our fishes and loaves that Christ might make a bigger impact into our community. Who will step up to the plate to take on the small task of lending; God will do the multiplying if we just lend, it doesn’t take a lot, just a few loaves just a few fish for Jesus! www.southgatesda.com
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Southgate Health Nugget
Benefits of Beet Juice
Beet juice is a naturally sweet Vitamin C juice with numerous health Iron benefits. It is a highly potent Magnesium juice and is rarely consumed Copper by itself. Many people add Phosphorus other vegetables and fruits to it such as beet leaves, apples, Health Benefits carrots, and/or celery. Beet juice is a powerful cleanser of the Types of Beets blood. It contains Although most people think nutrients that work of beets as a reddish vegeta- to protect against ble, they also come in other heart disease, and color varieties, namely white, certain types of cancer, pargolden and rainbow-colored. ticularly colon cancer. The The green leaves attached pigment that is responsible for to beets are edible and are the purple-red color of beets highly nutritious. is a cancer-fighting agent The popularity of beets grew called betacyanin. In patients in the 19th century when peo- with stomach cancer, beet ple discovered that they are juice has been found to have a rich source of sugar. When critical impact, inhibiting canthe British restricted sugar cer cell mutations. cane access, Napoleon or- The B vitamin folate in beets dered the beet to be used as aids in tissue growth. Foods the main source of sugar, in- rich in folate are important creasing their popularity. when a woman is pregnant. The Nutrients in Beet Juice The folate aids in proper development of the baby’s spinal column. Other Helpful Facts about Beet Juice If you have never eaten beets before or drank the juice, you may be alarmed to see a change in urine or Beet juice is highly nutritious. stool color. This is nothing to be It contains a number of essen- alarmed about because it is a tial vitamins and minerals: natural effect of consuming Folate beets or beet juice. Manganese The potency of beet juice Potassium makes it so that it is better Dietary fiber mixed with other fruits or vegwww.facebook.com/southgate.church.1
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etables. If not organic, be sure to first peel the beet before juicing it. Use half a beet per serving of juice. This will provide adequate nutrition and will not bring about any unwanted side effects. Beet juice has long been used as a diuretic and some people use it in their weight loss regimen. It is sweet and may be used as a replacement for sugar. You can bake with it. It can also be found in many products, such as chocolate, as a sugar replacement. Both the beet and its leaves are powerful blood cleansers. When used in moderation, limited to a few times per week, beet juice can be a healthy addition to your diet. Try adding steamed beets to your salads, soups, bake them in the oven with other root vegetables, or other wonderful recipes. The internet is such a great resource, you have no excuse to incorporate beets into your diet today! www.southgatesda.com
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Animal Encounters!
By Regina Editor
rdaviswest@gmail.com
And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth ... and God saw that it was good. -Gen 1:21
It never fails, whenever I am at the aquarium, specifically where the seahorses are displayed, there are crowds of people in total awe and amazement over these beautiful little creatures. In addition to being a sea creature that looks like a land animal, the horse, the seahorse comes in so many different shapes and colors it seems as though the possibilities are endless. This also makes them a truly unique creation of God. Found in shallow tropical and temperate waters throughout the world, these upright-swimming wonders can range in size from .6 inches to 14 inches long. The male seahorses are equipped with a brood pouch on their ventral (front-facing) side. When mating, the female deposits her eggs into his pouch and the male fertilizes them internally. He carries the eggs in his pouch until they hatch, then AS
GUPreleases the babies fully formed. The seahorse can get tired very easily if the water is not calm. They have a small fin on their back. This fin flutters up to 35 times per second. They also have smaller fins near the back of thier head that helps them steer. They also have a tail which helps them to secure themselves to sea grass, coral, rocks, etc. The seahorse is truly unique, just like you an me. Can you think of ways that God has made you unique and different from others?
youth and young adults. What is the YES! Network? An important part of YES! is the network of young people throughout North America who engage in random acts of kindness, strategically planned service events, disaster response and emergency relief. These young people demonstrate compassion, and follow Christ’s example in meeting the needs of others. This network consists of affiliations with various schools, youth organizations, and youth ministries, and community service. Who can join the YES! Network? Youth groups, academies, colleges, universities, youth ministries, individual youth and young adults, and other similar entities. How do I become part of the YES Network? Organizations should visit http:// www.communityservices.org to find out more. Organizations and individuals should join them on Facebook and Adventist Youth Space as
well. Services Provided YES! volunteers provide assistance whenever and wherever needed. For a list of ideas visit http://www. communityservices.org. If you have an idea that isn’t on their list, let us know and we will include it. E-mail us at yes@acsmanasota.org or post your idea on our Facebook page. Service Examples Include: · community clean up · church repair · community center assistance · literacy action events · mass feeding · child care · public school volunteer programs · assistance to senior citizens · distribute information on healthful living · distribution of safety information and supplies to disaster affected areas · special event crosswalk duty or parking · and more!
Testimony of a Literature Evangelist
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tist Church. The range is broad and the reach expands beyond the seas and is not limited to language barriers. As we enter the month of May, the focus of the General Conference is on Community Services as well as our youth and young adults. With that in mind, let us learn about the combination of our youth in service by learning more about the ACS YES! program. What is YES!? YES! stands for Youth Empowered to Serve (YES!) and is a ministry that engages and networks youth and young adults in Service Ministries (Ministries of Compassion) for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America. YES! is fundamentally rooted in the mission statement of ACS: “Serving communities in Christ’s name” What is the Mission of YES!? The YES! mission is to develop an active spirit of service among www.facebook.com/southgate.church.1
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Single and Knowing God ... 13:5. We are to cling to His every word and promise and allow Him to do His work in us, and to trust southgateonmeadowview@gmail.com in His timing, in order to gain an understanding “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man of what God has for us to do. Some of us may have should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” some healing to do. Some of us have to learn how to Gen 2:18. This verse is so powerful and meaningful love ourselves as God loves us. Some of us may have because God is telling us that we were created to have some forgiving to do. Once we understand this we can rejoice in our loneliness and be joyful in waiting companionship. However, we often jump ahead of God. We take that verse, manipulate it into what we want, and make excuses like, ‘Well, God doesn’t want us to be alone.’ Taking matters into our own hands, we can end up with someone unequally yoked that wasn’t chosen or approved by God which can lead to a whole different journey in itself. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all ways acknowledge him and He shall direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6. Waiting on God and fully trusting Him is probably one of the hardest things to train your mind and spirit to do. Satan has mastered the art of making us feel lonely, desperate, and unworthy. With that being clear we should know that God is on the Lord. God says, “If ye abide in me, and my our all in all. During the time that we are alone it is a words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it wonderful opportunity to draw closer to Him. shall be done unto you.” John 15:7. So wait patiently “Let your conversations be without covetousness; and know that God is preparing someone special for and be content with things as ye have: for He hath you while He is working on you also, just trust in His said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews every word. By Jessica Bragg-Davis Southgate Church Member
Kale Salad with Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing (serves plenty) Ingredients: 1 head kale (or a blend of greens) 1 cucumber, peeled and diced 2 avocados, diced 2 tomatoes, diced 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed Thinly sliced red onion or any other vegetables you enjoy Hemp seeds (or other seeds such as sunflower, pumpkin), for topping Dressing: ½ cup tahini ¾ cup water 1 lemon, juiced (about 2 or 3 tbsp) 1 large garlic cloves, minced 1T Soy or Chickpea Miso ¼ cup of Nutritional Yeast flakes ~¼ cup sunflower seeds
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2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil (optional) Salt to taste Pepper to taste (optional) Instructions: Whisk or blend all the dressing ingredients together. Add more water as needed. Massage kale with the dressing, then incorporate the rest of the salad ingredients, adding more dressing if necessary. Due to the thickness of the kale leaves, it should keep for a few days in the fridge. Dressing can also be used with other salads, a potato and so much more! Recipe by: Regina Davis-West & Charmaine Vierra
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Global Youth Day--Church’s Largest Social Media Event By Eric Richards Youth Ministries Department, General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventist
March 16’s Global Youth Day was the single largest international mobilization of Seventh-day Adventists through social media, said Gilbert Cangy, the world church’s Youth Ministries director. As hundreds of thousands of Adventist youth participated in community outreach, the church’s Youth departments worldwide reported their service activities live on Hope Channel in Australia, Germany and the United States. M o r e t h a n 80,000 y o u t h were connected through the social media - including Facebook and Twitter - and over 4 million people were talking about the initiative on the Internet. Adventist youth skipped hearing a sermon and mobilized for service to TS
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ture is repossessed. She receives a couch from the Community Thrift Store. Reoch says, “The more people we help, the more sales we make for the month. This way of doing business is our mission statement – ‘helping people in our community.’” When Foster parents come in to buy clothes for their foster children, they get them at half price. The uniqueness of the Community Thrift Store continues. Their one-ofa-kind ministry in Bonners Ferry supports more than four full-time and two parttime employees. They also sent $1500 each month to the local Adventist school,
demonstrate practical Christianity. “It was a historically unifying moment for global Adventist youth,” Cangy said. “At the heart of it all, this was not any of our doing; we simply made ourselves available to God as his hands and feet to get His work done. It was so inspiring to see the results.” Hundreds of young people in Spain participated in a flash mob in one of Madrid’s biggest shopping centers. Youth and children get ready for a day of service activities on March 16 in San Pablo City, Philippines. Hundreds of thousands of Adventist youth participated in the community outreach day worldwide. In England, young people served as missionaries for the day at local nursing homes and hospitals. Another group transformed their church into a shelter for abused women. Young Adventists in Tanzania responded to an urgent call for blood donations. In Puerto Rico, young people prayed for motorists on a busy street.
besides their emergency fund to assist people in need. They wash every item of clothing so their store smells clean. The Community Thrift Store has been operational since the 1980s
In South Africa, young people made breakfast for law enforcement officers. And a headline in the Guyana Times read: “Adventist youths inspire hope through community service.” “It was so wonderful to see the Youth Ministries department taking leadership in mobilizing the whole church this way,” said Daryl Gungadoo, distribution and network engineer for Adventist World Radio Europe and an organizer of the event. Megan Brauner, social media specialist in the world church’s Communication department who assisted with the event, called for more social media integration with church activities and initiatives. “Social media is the perfect vehicle for spreading awareness and showing the results of a global movement in one place,” she said. “The more we integrate social media into our projects, the more we’ll reap the benefits of quickly communicating with millions of people and receiving immediate feedback. The next Global Youth Day is scheduled for March 15, 2014.
and Reoch has been the manager for the past six years. Reoch was aggressive in reaching out to the local Chamber of Commerce, the Community Action Center and the local grocery stores.
Manager Pam Reoch checks out a customer. Notice the Free Take one Signs.
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She attends many of their meetings and through interacting with the community she feels the store has received more donations and has been able to help more people. “We get ourselves out there to let them know we’re here,” says Reoch. “One day a fireman called me to let me know there was a house fire. I can help families faster when local people know what we are doing.” Perhaps the number one reason the Community Thrift Store is different is that Reoch has worship each morning with her workers and she tells them, “You may be the only Jesus a person sees today.”
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family BIBLE QUIZ 1. What was the name of the angel who visited Mary to tell her that she would have a baby and he was to be called Jesus? 2. What were the names of the first man and woman that Jesus created? 3. What was the name of the man who owned an arc and took the animals in two by two and seven by seven?
4. How many commandments are there in the Bible? 5. How many loaves of bread did Jesus have to feed the five thousand? 6. How many fish did Jesus have to feed the five thousand? 7. What is the name of the disciple who betrayed Jesus? 8. What did Jesus come to earth to save us from? www.facebook.com/southgate.church.1
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May 1 Neighborhood Foodbank Ministry: 9a-11:30a 3 4 5 11 12 13 18 27
(every 1st & 3rd Wednesday) Prayer Meeting @7p* Bible Study @ 7:30p (Branner Home)** Sabbath Service, Potluck, AY*** Community Service Sabbath: May 4 Pre-Mother’s Day Luncheon @ 1:30p Youth Sabbath: May 11 Church Business Meeting @ 7:30p Mother’s Day Church Board Meeting @ 7p Single Adults Sabbath: May 18 Memorial Day
*Every Wednesday, **Every Friday Eve, ***Every Sabbath
Southgate Community Services
By Eugene Brooks Community Services Ministry Leader, Southgate SDA Church
Community Service is a God given ministry that ministers to the community. It is the heart of ministering through out the church. We try to connect with the community by trying to put various programs together such as food distribution, elderly care, substance abuse, parenting, tutoring, counseling of all kinds, programs for the children, disaster response, first-aid, assisting the homeless, and bible studies. These are just a few of what community service is called to do. Matthew 25:34-40 speaks about how Jesus came to this earth to minister to the unfortunate such as the sick, blind, lame and poor. This is what Jesus wants us to do, it is our job to continue the ministry and Gospel throughout the world and to be a good and faithful servant until Jesus comes again.
Come, Let us Break Bread Together!
From the very first time I attended a Seventh-day Adventist service, I had the experience of a fellowship meal. Having children and being served instead of serving others was such a delightful surprise. As I am now a member of the SDA faith, I have the privilege of seeing all of the love and attention that comes with preparing a fellowship meal. It takes many hands, willing hearts, and the ability to organize. This is also a time of ... FELLOWSHIP! If you have not joined your church family & guests for a fellowship meal lately, consider this your personal invitation. The history of the fellowship meals runs deep in our faith and is such an important part of what we do in ministering to others. Fellowship dinners provide an opportunity for church members to share ideas of good nutrition, strengthen friendships, and celebrate God’s goodness. Even in the days of Israel there was a coming together for feasting and socializing. “As a
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means of education an important place was filled by the feasts of Israel ... Three times a year seasons were appointed for social intercourse and worship ... So far as possible, all the households were in attendance; and with them, as sharers of their hospitality, were the stranger, the Levite, and the poor” (Education, pp. 41,42). The positive effects of such gatherings are noted in contemporary studies. “Eating together is a symbol of good will in every culture. This simple rite tends to remove barriers to friendship that are often resistant to more ambitious efforts.” (Nutrition in Action, p.253). What better way for family, friends, and visitors to relax together in a spiritual setting than by choosing to fellowship together through sharing a meal. Again, the Spirit of Prophecy reveals an even more important reason for this time together: the act of praising God for His goodness for us. “Let mealtime be a cheerful, happy time. As we enjoy the gifts of God, let us respond by grateful praise to the Giver” (Ministry of Healing, p.385).
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By Regina Davis-West Editor
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